One evening when the fashion designer Christy Lynn Lee was a child, she grew tired of doodling on the printer paper her mother had given her and her little sister, Vickie, and took to the walls of her family’s small Chicago apartment instead. “I drew floor-to-ceiling flowers, rainbows, birds, you name it,” Lee recalls. “My parents were so upset that they immediately called the super to paint it back white. Apparently, they had to repaint several times because I kept drawing.”

That vivid imagination has served her well: These days, Lee uses it to dream up pieces for her Texas-based clothing line, Christy Lynn. Her collection revels in juxtapositions, from undulating floral dresses paired with structured jackets to perfectly draped Italian crepe suiting in pastels and Parisian black, cinched by scarves styled as belts. Handsome materials such as leather, suede, and newly introduced knits bring a clean, modern edge.

Born in Missouri and educated at the Rhode Island School of Design, Lee started her career in New York, eventually working at Catherine Malandrino, where she discovered the magic of embroidery, and Elie Tahari, where she learned the ropes of tailoring, before moving to Houston in 2019. She introduced Christy Lynn’s ready-to-wear collection the next year. “What started as a few dresses evolved into a full capsule,” Lee says of that first foray into independent design, which came when she created bridesmaid gowns for her own nuptials, as well as her wardrobe for the weekend. “It was a deeply personal project, and I officially launched the brand the same month as our wedding.” Several silhouettes from that grouping remain core offerings each season, including the timeless Penelope dress, a statuesque, embroidered Italian lace midi with elbow-length sleeves over a monochromatic slip.

Five years in, Lee’s brand has blossomed. Sales originally fulfilled in her best friend’s living room now happen online, in her flagship store in Houston, and at luxury retailers in spots as far-flung as Dubai and Turkey. Her duties often take her to the brand’s Milan wholesale showroom, fashion weeks in Paris, and beyond. “Travel is a way for me to connect with people, cultures, and style,” she says. “I believe our collections resonate with women all over the world.”

Her influences, too, are international; Lee’s pieces reflect both her Korean heritage and Southern inflections. “The [spring/summer] collection is titled Cote, the Korean word for flower, and draws inspiration from the tradition of flower pressing to create intricate designs,” she explains. For every flutter and floral and bit of delicate embroidery, though, there’s also structure and toughness. “There is a mix of femininity and softness on the outside, but on the inside is a strong woman with a point of view who isn’t afraid to take chances and make bold moves.” Southern women understand that steel-magnolia contrast, and with every design, Lee keeps in mind her Houston colleagues and clients. Her late mother, who, alongside Lee’s father, began a successful business selling Korean books and, later, cosmetics, embodied this notion too. “My mom’s entrepreneurial spirit and resilience were my definition of beauty and style,” she says.

Lee also mines endless ideas working with Vickie, who followed in her sister’s creative footsteps, earning a degree from Parsons School of Design and then joining Christy Lynn to create many of its signature floral motifs. The sisters’ collaboration comes full circle on an archway in the Houston boutique. “We commissioned a local artist to re-create my sister’s original florals into a three-dimensional flower,” Lee says. “It’s still one of my favorite pieces for our brand.”